Just A Child
by Kitsanken
Summary: He was just a child, unfettered by the harsh realities of the world at large. He was innocent, untainted by the corruption surrounding him. Then THEY came.


**_Summary:_******_He was just a child, unfettered by the harsh realities of the world at large. He was innocent, untainted by the corruption surrounding him. Then THEY came._

_- G - English - Drama/Angst – One-Shot - Status: Complete –_

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_Rurouni Kenshin & Samurai X Original Japanese Version © N.Watsuki/Shueisha Fuji-TV SME Visual Works Inc. Sony Pictures Entertainment_

_All Fanfics created by Chiruken (me) were written for the sole purpose of shared entertainment and not intended for publication or sale._

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**Just A Child**

By: Chiruken

He was just a child. Small hands, small body, young mind. A child filled with carefree innocence. His eyes held no shadows, his smile held no subterfuge. He was genuine as only the young can be, ever truthful and trusting. There was no hint of distrust in his gaze, only exuberant acceptance of all that was said to him.

He understood nothing of the harsh truths outside his quiet sheltered life. He knew only softness and kindness, gentle words and quiet smiles. He heard no shouts of anger, felt no rough handling by harsh hands. His was a world filled with love and tenderness.

He was just a child. Innocent of the greed that surrounded the world beyond his small scope, sheltered from the ugliness of reality. His small hands were taught useful skills, his mind honed with ideals of honor and loyalty. His eyes held joy in living, his voice rang with cheerful laughter.

He knew nothing of war and hatred. He knew nothing of lies and deceit. The shifting of power held no sway over his young life, it meant nothing to him. He basked in the knowledge of the love and acceptance surrounding him. He was taught the beginnings of calligraphy and the appreciation of ancient wisdom. He was taught of honor and the importance of truth. He was never taught to lie or cheat, these were forbidden subjects, yet they dominated the world beyond his limited view of the world.

He was just a child when his carefully sheltered world crumbled. He was left lost, adrift, not understanding the full implications of the events unfolding around him. He didn't understand the tears that were shed nor the harshness of the words of strangers. He didn't understand the finality of reality nor the utter impossibility of all that he'd been taught in his young life.

Cast out upon the streets of reality, he was consumed by questions that could never be asked. He sought answers that would never be found. He watched, helpless, as honor was cast aside for survival. He quietly endured the long, cold night spent in terrible all-consuming loneliness. He learned quickly that the world to which he'd been thrown into was cruel and harsh, unforgiving of even the slightest weakness.

He was just a child when he learned the ultimate lesson of the inherent cruelty of fate. His small hands were put to work as he finally cast aside the last of his gentle upbringing. His small body learned the feel of rough punishment as his ears learned the sound of anger. His young mind finally grasped the concept of lying and cheating, of casting aside honor and loyalty. He learned the hard way that survival at all costs was far more important than the pretty ideals he'd been taught thus far.

Fleetness of foot became the tool of the trade, his agility and speed ensuring success where others failed. Deep down he understood that what he was doing went against everything he'd been taught, yet he was powerless to follow the urgings of his conscience. Secretly, he hadn't abandoned all understandings of honor. He knew that he could escape from his fate, yet he held himself firmly in place. Hope that someday he'd be free of the debt incurred kept him going. He refused to bring further dishonor to his family by abandoning the debt and running. He swore that he would finish what he'd started and make his family proud, even if they could only smile down on him from the afterlife.

He was child, but he was forced to mature at a rapid rate. He was exposed to everything previously hidden from him. He saw the world as it really was, not painted in the pretty colours that he'd been told of before. He learned hate and he learned anger. He learned that the truth was often intertwined with deception and what was real was often an illusion carefully crafted to hide reality.

His eyes lost their innocent joy and hardened, becoming jaded despite his obvious youth. His voice lost the laughter that had once filled it. His life was no longer his own to live. He no longer had the luxury of freedom that he'd had until _they_ came. He was now a slave of reality, living a harsh existence, unable to break away from the path chosen for him by circumstances.

He was just a child, but his inner strength was more than _they_ had bargained for. His convictions slowly began to reassert themselves and his small rebellions, though often resulting in harsh beatings, continued to grow. He was young, be he began to understand what was truly important and his heart filled with the knowledge, keeping his hope alive that someday he'd be free of the debt he owned to _them_. His mind was often filled with dreams of what possibilities lay ahead of him and he refused to give that up no matter what punishments were dealt to him as a result of voicing his opinions aloud.

He regained his sense of honor and pride in his heritage. It was reaffirmed one warm spring afternoon when he picked the pocket of an old man and was filled with remorse when his grandchild spoke to him. He'd returned the money pouch, knowing that _they_ would be angered by his actions, yet not caring.

He was just a child, but he knew that the young man was more than he seemed. He was young, but he recognized the same pride that he felt within himself in the young woman who'd tackled him on the bridge despite the hindering confines of a kimono. His young heart was reminded what it was like to be in the company of those with a sense of honor.

He'd made a decision and intended to stand by it. The chance meeting with the oddly paired couple on the bridge reaffirmed what he'd known for sometime already. He needed to make a clean break, find honest work to repay the debt his family had incurred. He would no longer lie and cheat and steal. He would find a way to make a living and retain his honor and pride.

In the end, it had taken the help of the strangers he'd met, but he'd managed to escape the yakuza. He'd found a new purpose in life and rediscovered what truth was. His young heart and soul slowly began the lengthy process of healing beneath the kind and caring tutelage of the young woman and the young man. He silently vowed that he would make them proud along with his family. He would become stronger and grow up to be the man his father had been raising him to be. _Someday_, he thought with a determined gleam in his eyes, _Myoujin Yahiko will be somebody…somebody with honor and truth!  
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